New AAUP Staff

The AAUP welcomed several new staff members this spring.

Michael DeCesare joined the Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance full time as a senior program officer after six months of serving as a contractor for the department. DeCesare comes to the AAUP from Merrimack College, where he is professor of sociology and past president of the Merrimack AAUP chapter. He has previously been a member of the national Council’s executive committee; vice president of the Massachusetts AAUP conference; chair of the Committee on College and University Governance; chair, cochair, or member of five investigating committees; advisory board member for the Bulletin; book review editor for Academe magazine; and a member of the Contingency Planning Working Group.

David Langkamp joined the Department of Academic Freedom, Tenure, and Governance as program coordinator. Langkamp brings to his work at the AAUP two decades of administrative experience in higher education as well as several years of experience in the nonprofit arts sector. He also brings a commitment to the labor movement: he helped to organize the newly formed staff union at the Art Institute of Chicago and served on the executive council and contract bargaining team for the staff union at New York University.

Seyar Niaz joined the Department of Finance and Administration as senior accountant. Niaz, who has more than a decade of finance and accounting experience and previously served as a consultant with the department, will focus on financial reporting and audit preparation.

Finally, Monica Washington joined the staff as executive assistant. Washington will support the executive director and Council and manage the AAUP Foundation grant and disbursement process. She brings extensive federal government and private-sector project and event management experience to the position.